Johnny Depp opens up about Vanessa Paradis split

Johnny Depp has opened up about his split from former partner Vanessa Paradis, insisting the two stars are trying to “make the best of it” for the sake of their kids.

The couple ended its 14-year relationship last summer, and the actor has now moved on with actress Amber Heard.

Speaking about the break-up for the first time in a new Rolling Stone interview, the star says, “The last couple years have been a bit bumpy. At times, certainly unpleasant, but that’s the nature of break-ups, I guess, especially when there are kiddies involved.

“Relationships are very difficult, especially in the racket that I’m in because you’re constantly away or they’re away and so it’s hard. It wasn’t easy on her. It wasn’t easy on me. It wasn’t easy on the kids.

“The trajectory of that relationship – you play it out until it goes, one thing leads to another. So, for whatever reason that ­ceases, it doesn’t stop the fact that you care for that person, and they’re the mother of your kids, and you’ll always know each other, and you’re always gonna be in each other’s lives because of those kids. You might as well make the best of it.”

Johnny and Vanessa in 2004. (Photo by Gregg DeGuire/WireImage)

However, he made it a priority to make sure his two children were OK through the break-up of their parents, stating, “They’ve been incredibly understanding, incredibly strong throughout the whole ordeal. … Kiddies come first. You can’t shield them, because then you’d be lying. So you can at least be honest with your kids, and you say the absolute truth to your child – that was very important to not pussyfoot around.”

And he admits his new-found sobriety helped him with that: “I definitely wasn’t going to rely on the drink to ease things or cushion the blow or cushion the situation, ’cause that could have been fatal. I felt it was my duty to be real clear throughout that. I had something pretty serious to focus on, really, which was making sure that my kids were gonna be cool.

“(I had to) bite the bullet and deal with real life, deal with clarity.”